Sometimes, homework can be stressful. Especially when it's a question like "2x^(2-11x+14) and you don't have a calculator at home. I mean, it's not like our math teachers intend to make us stress out and like, cry...they are just trying to teach us things that we may need one day. A commonly asked question when it comes to math would be Will I even ever need this in life?? But our math teachers always assure us that we will need them at one point in time. Whether you believe them or not, the homework is mandatory. If you don't do it, that's a lunch detention (or few) for you. Due dates obviously add to the stress, especially if you're a procrastinator like I am, and wait until the very last minute. It can be hard to turn in a 40 question worksheet by the next day, particularly when you have like 6 different homework assignments for that night. Let's say, on top of all of that, you do a sport or a club that consumes a lot of your time. It just adds to the stress. The solution to it all could be something as simple as creating a schedule. Instead of saying that you'll do it later or not doing it at all, make sure that you have set aside a certain time to do your homework, that way you don't forget to do it all. Then there is always the chance that you don't exactly know what you are doing, and have to go to tutoring the next day in order to get the work done. Well, if that's what it takes to finish your homework, I guess it's worth it. To break out of that procrastinator shell, you have to accept the fact that if you don't get your homework done, it could have a lot of consequences. Which is why it's best to take the time to actually do it.

Imagine this: You're sitting in class, having a good day, and your teacher tells you that you would be testing the next day.

You're imagining it? Good.

Now, imagine it's the next day, and you're in the middle of the test (it has around 50-55 questions) and the computer completely crashes. All of the work you just did is lost, and you have to start over.

Now, of course when you do a test on a computer, there is always the chance of something going wrong. It happens when you least expect it. You get a black screen, or a glitch causing you to have to retake and retake and...retake the test.

Being a middle schooler is hard enough already without having to take these test that are very time consuming and stressful. We keep taking the test in hopes that we will do good, and beat our last score, and we also hope that we score high enough to qualify for advanced classes the next year. On top of all of that, you forgot to eat breakfast. Or, get enough sleep. Or, do your homework.

You ask yourself, why do we have to do these stupid things? But, you know why. Things are never going to change as long as you're alive. Test have always been a part of life, heck, life itself is all one big test, isn't it?

So, I guess we will have to deal with testing. Afterall, we can't get into college or get a good job, or finish high school without them.

Recently, a man named Fred Gross visited my school. Mr. Gross just so happens to be a holocaust survivor and told us his amazing story. I couldn't help but become engrossed in the way he told it.(no pun intended)

He told about his journey throughout Europe and his always being "One step ahead of Hitler."

The Holocaust was one of the cruelest crimes against humanity, and to have one of the survivors speak to our school was an honor. He was very soft spoken, but when he told his story, you felt like you were really there.

Fred Gross and his family

When Mr. Gross finished his story, there were many questions we wanted to ask because it was so interesting, but many people were just speechless.

I have one question still. How did Hitler influence so many people to help him with the acts ofi the Holocaust, and why didn't anyone try and stop him? There is always the bystander affect, but that doesn't answer the whole question.

There must have been many people during that time with the same beliefs about Jewish people to continue something so cruel for so long. I wasn't there, so I do not know the motives of the thousands who helped promote the Holocaust, but I do know one thing...to prevent things like the Holocaust ever happening again, we need to learn from our past, our mistakes. Maybe then will we have a chance to change the ways of human beings.